Criminal Intention
by Razors-Flash
Summary: After a traumatic event in both their lives, two teens decide to run away.  Chance has them meet, and causes Fate to arrive early.
1. Flight

**A/N **Hello, and welcome to my first fic. I've always wanted to read a fic where Sarah and Chuck meet as kids in high school, and Chuck enters the con game as Sarah's new partner. Unfortunately, there aren't any out currently there, so I thought I would write my own. I started this before Indigogold's new fic came out, so any similarities are coincidences/regular Chuck fic cliches.

This has not been beta'd, but I'm relatively certain that I've caught most of my spelling and grammar mistakes. Also, I've only seen the first episode of Season 5, so if something in here goes against something established in S5, you'll know the reason why. I'd love to see the episodes, but I can't catch them on TV, and they can't be streamed online, so I'm majorly bummed about that.

I've never actually written any fiction like this, but I always got A's on my papers (even though a lot of them were Econ papers...)

I hope you have as much fun reading this story as I had writing it.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chuck or any of the characters. If I did, the travesty of S3 would only be a bad nightmare. Or at least Chuck would have actually killed Shaw correctly the first time.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**Flight**

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><p><strong>April 11, 1995<strong>

**Somewhere on the I-5, California**

His father left them.

He and his sister are all alone.

His father left them and now they're all alone.

Not that this was a huge change in the status quo, but before, his father was at least physically present, even if he was hiding from them in the basement. He would show up to dinner (not always, but enough), and sometimes help him or his sister with their homework. Not that his sister needed the help, she was (still is) brilliant, with a work ethic that he frequently envied, and more often than not, she helped him with his homework, albeit at a price. "Practice makes perfect," she always says to him, so he lets her practice being a doctor on him, even though he hates needles. She's going to be a doctor, because when Ellie sets her mind to something, nothing stands in her way. And honestly, he doesn't mind being her practice dummy**;** he likes it when his sister is happy, even if he _can't stand_ needles.

But Steven Bartowski abandoned them, abandoned _her._

And it was all his fault.

He had just wanted to join the baseball team. But he couldn't throw the ball very well during the try-outs, so all the jocks made fun of him for throwing like a girl, then started insulting his dad's parenting skills. Chuck would be the first person to admit his father was lax in the parenting department, but he was family, and no one insulted his family. He was about to stand up to the jocks when the coach approached them and scattered the jocks.

"Practice with your dad, and try out next year," the coach (who also happened to teach his favorite class, Basic Programming) Mr. Henderson, suggested. "I'm sure he'd be happy to help you improve. It'll be great father/son bonding time!"

Chuck bit his tongue to keep from venting that his dad would be too busy to do anything with him, instead only meekly nodding his assent to the coach's idea, and left. He didn't think it very likely, but hoped deep down that his father would be proud that he wanted to participate in a sport, and help him get better. But he didn't show up to dinner that night, or the subsequent night. On the third day after the try-outs, Chuck went looking for his father after lunch, and broke the most important rule of the house.

_Never_ go into Steven Bartowski's basement.

There were rows upon rows of shelves, filled with all sorts of gadgets and files and knick-knacks. Chuck never imagined that there would be a whole _warehouse_ of..._things_...in the basement. Curiosity getting the better of him, he wandered through the shelves, careful not to touch anything (if anything is out of its place, his father would surely notice). At the far end, he noticed a work area, with a table overflowing with notes, sketches and diagrams. One of the topmost pages catches his eye, but he can't understand his father's notes that well. Something about how the brain and neurons intersect with computer code, and Chuck can't help but think that whatever all that means must come straight from _Star__Trek_or perhaps _Tron._ Nearby is a computer screen with the word _Initialize?_ in bold italic letters. He is hit with a weird sense of _déjà vu_as his finger hovers above the _enter_ key.

"Charles Bartowski! What do you think you're doing in here?"

Startled by his father's voice, Chuck whirls around, and spotting his father's angry look, can only gape like a fish.

"Dad! I'm so sorry I went in the basement! I was looking for you to play catch and throw a ball to join the team and..."

Before he can finish his babbling apology, Steven roughly grabbed Chuck's arm and proceeded to drag him outside, all the while angrily mumbling under his breath. Chuck only catches something about dangerous crossroads (I look both ways before I cross, honest!) and curious sons (Wait, I have a brother?), before they are back in the house again. Hearing a commotion, Ellie appears in the hallway, but before either her or Chuck can say anything, Steven spoke up.

"Go to bed kids, and I'll make pancakes in the morning." Turning to Chuck, Steven continued on, "Charles, forget everything you saw down there, and just go to sleep. We'll play catch tomorrow."

There were no pancakes the next day.

Because his father left them.

And it was all his fault.

He's sure his sister will hate him for driving their father away, and he can't stand the thought of his sister hating him, looking at him with anything other then the love and adoration usually present in her kind eyes, so he left.

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><p>At fifteen, he's not legally old enough to drive, and the fact that he is driving would normally be enough to cause him to freak out. But he doesn't. The fact that he's driving a stolen car should definitely cause him to have a mild panic attack, but it doesn't. Not even the knowledge that he is the one that stole the car, hotwiring the ignition (he saw it on an old episode of McGuvyer once) pierces the fog of his mind.<p>

Because his father left Ellie.

Because he is leaving Ellie.

_He_ is _leaving _Ellie.

That thought races across him mind, jolting him out of his depressed stupor. Awareness slams back into him, and he nearly avoids hitting the car he was passing. The fog in his mind lifting, everything comes crashing back to him, and for once in his life, Chuck Bartowski does not freak out, he remains calm and collected. Slowing down to take the off ramp, Chuck pondered the source of his Zen state. After a moment of reflection, he settles on the fact that the reason for his calm came from the speed he was driving at. _Zooming about on the highway at 100 miles an hour is not the best place to freak out_, he mused.

He continued driving aimlessly for another half an hour or so, examining his surroundings, trying to ignore the steady increase in his heart rate and perspiration, and his increasingly sweaty palms. Reaching a residential district, Chuck parked the stolen car-it's a mustang, similar to his father's car, and slowly got out. He briefly considered turning off the engine, but he had no clue how to do that. McGuvyer never had to turn off the car he had to hotwire. He got on the hood of the car and looked at his watch, noticing he'd been gone for over 2 hours. He had no clue where he was, only that he had been driving for the better part of two hours, going over 100 on the I-5.

"Ellie's going to kill me for being gone so long. Then she'll bring me back to life, and then kill me again for stealing a car. What if I had gotten pulled over? What if..." Chuck continued to ramble on the what ifs for a few minutes. He then stared at his hands, willing them to stop shaking, even as his vision started to go white around the edges. Everything that happened to him in his life, his mother leaving, being bullied, the needles, not getting on the baseball team, his father leaving as well, and _Oh__God_, the _needles_, all became too much for him to handle, and he started hyperventilating. Panic growing, he swung his head around wildly, looking for something, someone, _anything_, as the sun lost its luminescence, the wind picked up a cold chill, and the clouds got darker and heavier, as if ready to deluge its watery burden upon him.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The soft voice, tinged with something (concern? For him?), ghosted right through his turbulent thoughts, and suddenly he could only focus on _her_. She was a young teen, right around his age, with slightly curly golden hair roughly hewn in a short boyish cut that reached down to her chin. Her sharp blue eyes were looking right at him, and he swiftly found himself mesmerized, drowning in the sea blue of her eyes. Her hand on his arm caused him to release the breath he wasn't aware he was holding, _something_stirring in his chest. Just as quickly as it dimmed, the sun regained its brilliance, the wind was no longer cold and he could swear there were birds chirping somewhere. For some reason, while he was still lost in her stare, he couldn't help but compare her to one of the myriad of Disney Princesses that his sister was always so fond of, and found them all wanting.

He looked into her eyes for another hour (truly only a moment ), took a shuddering breath, and despite his suddenly dry mouth, managed to breathe out a reply. "Yeah...I will be. Just got a little overwhelmed." Chuck couldn't help but notice that his voice was about an octave lower than usual, and his savior's blue eyes got a shade darker, her cheeks a tad pinker, as though she was just as affected by him as he was by her. They remained frozen, lost in each other's eyes, feeling as though time itself had stopped. A passing car honked its horn, and time re-asserted itself. The girl removed her hand from his arm, and he instantly felt the loss of warmth that her contact provided.

No longer distracted (or enticed) by her eyes, he took another moment (just a few seconds this time) to take in the rest of her appearance. The mystery girl was wearing white sneakers, faded and slightly ripped jeans, and a modestly loose gray shirt. It was basically the prevalent fashion for teen girls, not that he paid much attention to that sort of thing. She gave him a shy smile, and the braces she was wearing did nothing to detract from the brilliant smile.

"Oh... good... I, uh...I guess... I'll just, uh, go now?" Her hesitant statement sounded more like a question, and she blushed a bit more as she hoisted her backpack and turned to walk away.

Chuck panicked, and said the first thing to pop into his mind, "Wait! Do you... need a ride somewhere?"

"Oh... sure. Thanks." She looked hesitant at first, but brightened afterwards.

"Ok, where do you need to go? My name's Chuck by the way." He stuck out his hand and waited.

She shyly shook his hand, and replied, "Hi Chuck, I'm Je- my name's Sam. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Sam. I hope you know where we are, cause I got lost a while ago." He said, rubbing the back of his head in an embarrassed manner.

"I'm actually running away, so it doesn't matter where I go." As soon as the words left her lips, Sam's hands flew up to cover her mouth, her eyes widening.

Chuck's eyes widen as well, and he notices that she's getting ready to run from him. _Not acceptable. _"You too?"

His comment clearly derails whatever action she intended to perform, and she stares at him for a beat longer before asking softly, "You're running away too? Why?" Chuck's eyes fill with sadness, and Sam feels guilty. _He probably doesn't want to talk about it, just like me._She thinks. "It's OK, you don't have to tell me..."

Chuck shakes his head. "No, it's alright. My dad abandoned me and my sister, and it was all my fault and now my sister hates me for driving away our dad after I already made our mom leave and..." Chuck says all of this in one breath, and Sam places her hand on his arm to stop him.

"I'm running away from my dad because he kidnapped me from my mom years ago and we've been conmen and thieves ever since." Once again, Sam is surprised by what she says to this near complete stranger. _Something about him just makes me feel safe..._ She thinks.

Chuck grabs her hand, entwining his fingers with her, and a jolt of something neither can identify pulses through them at the contact. "I'm so sorry..." He says this with such sincerity, that she can tell he doesn't say it as just another meaningless platitude.

"It's OK... There's a park nearby, do you want to go there for a while?" He agrees, so they pile into the car and she directs him to the park. Upon arriving at the park, he realizes that he needs to turn off the car, or they won't be able to use it for much longer.

"You don't happen to know how to turn off a hotwired car, do you? I kinda stole this car. I wasn't thinking at the time."

Sam looks at him, and bursts out laughing. "Yeah, I can do that for you. You were really able to hotwire the car? How?" He parks the car, and she turns it off for him. They slowly walk towards the park, neither aware of their still linked hands.

"I remember seeing McGuyver do it on TV. It wasn't too hard. I'm pretty good with computers and other electronics. A car's ignition is nearly all electronic nowadays." Chuck rambled, and Sam can't help but find his rambling cute.

"Wow, I'm impressed, it took me a few times to learn. By the way, who's McGuyver?"

Chuck gasped, "You don't know? He's a character on a TV show, who is crazy smart and can figure out unorthodox solutions to problems."

"Oh, I never had much time for TV or movies before. It was always the next con with my dad..."

"Well, we'll have to fix that. If I'm not in jail for stealing a car I mean..." Before Chuck can start to panic, he hears Sam's melodic laugh, and all worry is driven from his mind, as all he can think about is how he wants to hear that laugh more.

"Oh Chuck, your funny, which is good, cause I'm not." She says, her eyes sparkling with laughter. They finally reach the park, and sit down at bench overlooking a small pond. No one else is around.

Grinning, Chuck replies, "Oh, is that what's wrong with you then? I was here wondering, she's either a cannibal, or she's not funny. Frankly, I was pulling for cannibal. Never met one before."

Sam laughs, once again mesmerizing Chuck with its sound. "Nope, not a cannibal. And thief and conman isn't on that list?"

"Nah, those just add... character. Just like stealing a car." Sam marvels at his ability to make her laugh. She is discovering that she likes to laugh. Or maybe it's just the company. _Or maybe it's both_, she thinks.

"I like you Chuck. But I should probably go. You don't want to get caught up with me or my past..." Sam stands up, but is quickly yanked back down on the bench. It is only then that she realizes that she was still holding on to Chuck's hand, and that's what pulled her down.

"Did you forget that I've stolen a car? We don't have to carry our pasts around with us if we're running away, the car has a large trunk. We'll stuff them in there. If there's not enough room, then I'll carry it for you. I'll be your personal baggage handler." He gives her a goofy grin, and once again, she can't help but smile and laugh with him.

"Chuck, even now, your cracking jokes and making me laugh... Thank you..."

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><p>He flashes her the smile she is beginning to associate with Chuck, and they continue to talk, holding hands on the bench. Chuck tells her all about his favorite video games, the latest movies and TV shows, and why he is running away. Sam in turn, is mostly content with her new favorite activity, listening to Chuck ramble. He notices her reluctance to talk about herself, but doesn't push her yet. Their conversation eventually tapers off, and neither say anything else, both content to hold hands and stare into each other's eyes. The sun setting draws their eyes away from each other, and they look at the myriad of colors on the canvas of the night sky.<p>

When the sun finally dips below the horizon and the park lights come on, Chuck and Sam realize that yes, it is getting dark. Chuck checks his watch, and lets out a whistle when he sees the time. "It's nearly 8. We've been talking for over 6 hours!"

Sam raises her eyebrows in response to his statement, but doesn't say anything, mostly because Chuck is still rambling. "… And we should find a place to spend the night, but I also just realized that I'm starving, and you must be too, since I skipped lunch, so we really should get something to eat." Sam simply smiles at him, standing up, mindful of their linked hands this time, and drags him along the park.

"Let's take a walk around the park, it's beautiful and I've never really seen it before." Even though his stomach is begging him for food, Chuck finds he can't say no to Sam. Besides, the park really is beautiful. Even if he's staring at her more than the park.

"Do you want to tell me why you're running away?" Chuck softly inquires. Sam stiffens and tries to pull away, but Chuck grabs her and brings her close, hugging her to him, faces inches apart. "It's OK, you can tell me anything." His eyes show nothing but compassion, and she eventually relaxes and buries her face in his chest.

"It's because of the last con my dad and I pulled. He was pretending to be a businessman, and I was his rebel daughter. He had a meeting to sell advertising space in his magazine and he was on the way to a random office to complete the deal. Since he couldn't actually go in, I called him, pretending to be the principal of the school I go to. Said that his daughter had been caught skipping class and smoking weed. My dad managed to convince the client to come with him to pick me up, and we went to a restaurant. I had to be a nuisance, without being too annoying, distracting the client so my dad could work his con on him. It wasn't working too well..."

Sam took a deep breath, inhaling Chuck's scent, while he continued to stroke her back soothingly. After a minute, she continued her story.

"So my dad pulled me aside, and told me to seduce the client. He was my dad's age..."

"WHAT?" Chuck all but shouted, and immediately regretted it. He caught a glimpse of Sam's face, she was crying. "Oh, Sam, I'm so sorry, I'm not angry or upset at you... I'm angry at your dad, forcing you to go through that…" He held her tighter, and whispered soft reassurances in her ear while she cried. After a while, she was reduced to just sniffles.

"My dad... excused himself and hid. I started flirting with the man, and eventually he started flirting back. He kept trying to touch me, but I kept pulling away, until he got fed up and grabbed my wrist..." She held on tighter to Chuck, and he tightened his hold in return. "He kissed me for a second before my dad thundered in and stopped him. The client signed the deal and gave us the money and split shortly after that..."

The tears started flowing again, and Chuck was at a loss over what to do, so he guided her to a nearby bench. He continued to hold her, as her tears soaked his shirt.

"Please stop crying, I hate it when you cry..."

"But my first kiss was for a con! And to a man as old as my father!" She sobbed harder.

"Sam, you said you had another name for that con, what was it?" Chuck had an idea, and hoped it would work out.

In between sniffles, Sam replied, "It was...Reb...becca..."

"And you said your real name is Sam right?"

"...Yes...What about it...?"

"Well, think of it this way : Rebecca may have had her first kiss, but Sam hasn't. And since Rebecca isn't real, you still haven't had your first kiss."

Sam's sobs noticeably diminished in quantity and volume as she slowly accepted Chuck's logic. "OK, but I see it playing in my head still..."

Chuck knew there was only one solution left. What he didn't know is where he got the courage to go through with Plan B. So he didn't question it, he just acted. He placed his thumb under her chin and gently lifted her head up. His gaze locked on her lips as he dipped his head down. Sam had frozen, holding her breath, and all she could see, smell, _think_was him. As his lips closed in on hers, Sam closed her eyes, and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. Sam's first kiss was everything she expected and more. It was sweet, gentle, caring, expressive and _wonderful_. She wanted, needed more, so she started moving her lips against his. It was clumsy and awkward, but Sam felt as if it was perfect. Chuck congratulated himself for not bashing Sam's nose in when he leaned in, but all thought was erased from his mid when his lips met Sam's. They were so soft and supple, and when she started moving her lips, changing the prolonged peck into a full-blown kiss, Chuck thought he was in heaven.

They sat at the bench for a while, learning how to kiss through the fun way; by experimentation. They finally broke apart, out of breath, but both smiling widely.

"Thank you Chuck, for giving me that wonderful and amazing first kiss."

"Your welcome just doesn't seem appropriate for the circumstances... It was my pleasure Sam... And that was my first kiss too..."

Her blue eyes dark and sparkling with mischievousness, Sam leaned in for another kiss, whispering just before closing in, "Really, maybe I should give it back to you..."

They alternatively stole and gave first, second, third, even sixth kisses to and from each other. A rumbling stomach alerted them to the passage of time. Sam blushed, this time it was her stomach. Chuck stood up, and held his hand out to Sam.

"Oh no, I still have to get rid of the stolen car, what am I going to do?"

Sam grabbed his hand to calm him down. "Chuck, relax, I know a chop shop around here, we can sell them the car and get plenty of money. From there we can get something to eat and then go to a hotel to sleep. That is, if it's OK with you..."

"Of course Sam, thank you! You just saved my life again..."

She gave him a shy smile before pecking him on the lips again. "Hmm, I could get used to kissing you..." She mumbled.

Chuck gives her his Bartowski grin, which she is beginning to learn, does funny things to her stomach, before turning serious again. "In the morning, I want to go see my sister. I need to know if she hates me before disappearing."

"She won't hate you Chuck, your dad leaving wasn't your fault."

"Alright, you will come with me, won't you?"

"Yes, I'll be there with you."

"Whatever happens?"

She nods "Yes, Chuck, whatever happens. And Chuck, call me Sarah Walker from now on."

He nods , understanding the reason behind the name change. "Perfect." Is all he says.

They walk, hand in hand, out of the park, together.

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><p><strong>AN 2** So, how was it? Please feel free to review and let me know what you thought. I also have a question for the readers: Would you prefer I gloss over the High School/College years and go towards young adult C/S with flashback of younger years, or move forward chronologically?

I have another story idea that I'm writing the first chapter for, so I'll likely finish that before continuing this fic. But rest assured that I have every intention of finishing this story.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading!


	2. Insecurities

**A/N** I originally wanted to only have Chuck's thoughts in this story, but as I wrote, I found myself delving into Sarah's thoughts and motivations as well. I find her such an interesting character, and I couldn't help myself. The first chapter contained some of her thoughts, and I had written about half this chapter before I noticed I had inadvertently done so again.

My other story, the FBI Agent, will be solely in Sarah's POV, so I think I'll try to stick it out in Chuck's POV for this fic. I apologize in advance if some of Sarah's inner thoughts come through. She's not easily denied after all.

I also want to just say here, WOW, I was not expecting that much interest in my FBI Agent story. 28 reviews for the first chapter in one week. Wow, thanks. Makes me think that maybe more readers want me to update that one instead of this story. Don't worry though, I've said it before, I have every intention of finishing both. I think I'll get this one up to a good point then work on the FBI story for a while. It seems there's a lot more interest in the FBI Agent.

(The second paragraph is in Sarah's head, but I liked it too much to get rid of it. It'll be the last one, I hope.)

I really hope that I've been able to capture the core of their relationship as well as some of the other authors on this site. Chuck takes care of Sarah emotionally, and she takes care of him physically. And when he gets his panic attacks.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews, and please enjoy this new chapter!

**Disclaimer**: I still do not own _Chuck._

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Insecurities  
><strong>

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><p><em>"Yes, I'll be there with you."<em>

_"Whatever happens?"_

_She nods "Yes, Chuck, whatever happens. And Chuck, call me Sarah Walker from now on."_

_He nodded, understanding the reason behind the name change. "Perfect." Is all he said._

_They walk, hand in hand, out of the park, together._

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><p><strong>April 11, 1995<strong>

**Unknown Park**

As they walked along the path towards the stolen car, Chuck kept stealing glances at Sarah. She noticed this, as she kept looking at him as well. Whenever their eyes would meet during one of the glances, their smiles would widen just a bit more. And their cheeks would color a tad more as well.

Sarah had never smiled that much before, and frankly, her cheeks were starting to hurt a little. From smiling too much. All because of Chuck. That thought just made her want to smile more, pain be damned.

Chuck couldn't remember the last time he smiled this much, and _meant it._ He wasn't even worried about the stolen car, or having run away, because he was with Sarah, and everything would work out. Because Sarah would be there to help him.

He should do something nice for her. He couldn't get her flowers, or chocolate, or jewelry, because he didn't have any money. And he doubted that she would like his Han Solo collectable; much less recognize the character, given her lack of movie knowledge. That was something he'd have to rectify as soon as possible. _But maybe she'd like to drive?_ "Hey Sarah, do you want to drive?" The way she looked up at him, with hope and excitement in her eyes and an even larger smile (her face had to hurt from smiling that much. His was sure starting to…) let him know that yes, she would _love _to drive. He nodded to himself, satisfied that he had done another thing that caused her to smile.

"Yes! I'd love to drive that car Chuck. Can I really?" Sarah still had a smile on her face, but the blush had receded. Chuck thought his own blush was under control as well, although it was likely only a matter of time before it returned. Sarah seemed to have that effect on him.

"Well I sure hope you _can, _but you _may_ drive it anyways." Chuck said in a teasing tone. His English teacher always brought up the differences between can and may, and he always found it funny, even if all the other students always grumbled at the lame joke.

Sarah whacked him on the arm with her free hand and giggled. "Yes, Chuck, I know how to drive… My fa- _He_ had been teaching me, but I never got to drive such a nice car." Chuck frowned at her near slip. It was obviously still a sore point, one he'd do his best to avoid.

He resisted the urge to keep frowning and simply kept walking, swinging their clasped hands in an exaggerated manner. And he would have done so all the way to the car, had Sarah not stopped and tugged on his arm to get his attention. "Well, aren't you going to give me the keys?" She demanded, holding her hand out.

"Keys…?" Chuck was confused for a moment before he realized she meant the keys to the car. That he had stolen. He burst into laughter. "Sarah, sweetie, I don't have the keys to the car that I _stole."_

Sarah giggled and smiled, _again_, a new blush adorning her cheeks. Chuck thought she was embarrassed by her slip, until he realized that he had called her sweetie. His eyes widened and his own cheeks colored at this revelation. It had felt natural to say that. He flashed his smile at her, to let her know he meant the endearment, even if it had accidentally slipped out.

_Jesus, we're both smiling a lot. If we keep smiling this much, it might just become our default facial expression._ Not that he minded. On the contrary, He thought Sarah's smile was radiant. And if the reason it was perpetually brightening the world was because of him, well that was just awesome.

She resumed walking, and the pull on his arm reminded Chuck that he was still attached to her. He caught up and started to skip, urging her to follow his lead with a grin. She complied, and soon they were swinging their arms erratically as they skipped and laughed along the park.

Chuck, ever graceful and coordinated one, couldn't keep skipping as he was laughing too hard. So he tripped and fell on the grass near the path, taking Sarah down with him. His stomach broke her fall, and she laughed even harder as she rolled off of him to lay by his side, his hand firmly secured in hers. Chuck sincerely hoped they never had to let go for an extended period of time.

"So does this mean that we're going out now? I've never had a boyfriend before…" Sarah was the first one to catch her breath after laughing so much, but a giggle still escaped every so often. She sat up slightly, just enough to rest on her elbow, and faced him. Chuck mimicked her position.

"I don't just kiss… any pretty girl, she's got to be… special, you know?" He really needed to start becoming a bit more active; his lungs were _burning_.

Sarah fell silent, and Chuck thought he had said something wrong. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she whispered first. "You really think I'm pretty?" Her voice was low and tentative.

Chuck gaped at her, not believing she was this unsure of herself. She saw this, and moisture started to gather in her eyes. _Quick, say something, don't let her cry! _"Nononono, don't cry, don't cry, of course you're pretty. Heck, you're beautiful Sarah. Just… don't cry… Please?"

The tears started flowing down her face and Chuck panicked. _Way to go moron, you made her cry. _ The voice sounded gruff, a little like a bear, and not at all like a voice in his head should. But Sarah was crying, and he couldn't focus on weird voices in his head, because she needed him.

"Hey, I'm sorry, don't cry…" He really was at a loss over what to say. How he wished he had asked Ellie what to do when girls cried…

"These are happy tears, Chuck. No one's ever really called me pretty before…" Chuck really couldn't tell the difference between these _happy tears _and the ones from before, but decided not to press the issue. Ellie did say he'd spend his whole life trying to understand girls and never get close.

"You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen Sarah. And I'd love it if you did want to be my girlfriend." Chuck started to stroke her hair, and that seemed to help her relax. He'd have to remember this move if she ever cried again. Though he'd do his best to make sure she didn't cry.

Sarah giggled, tears eventually drying up. "This is probably not the normal way to start a relationship, huh? And I'm sorry I've been crying on you so much, you must think I'm weak and silly…"

"Normal is overrated. And I don't think your silly or whatever for crying. I think you're really strong for holding it together by yourself for so long. And I'm really glad that you're letting me help you. It's OK for you to take comfort from me. Besides, you've put up with my rambling and nerdiness."

"I personally think your rambling is adorable, and your nerdiness cute."

"Really?"

She nodded and gave him a shy smile, and he answered with his Bartowski grin.

"I really like you Chuck."

"I really like you too, Sarah."

Her sniffles had subsided, but she continued to lay on her side, staring at him. Chuck figured it was an invitation to lose himself in her eyes again. A giggle and a kiss broke his stare and indeterminable time, and Sarah got up, tugging his hand so he'd join her.

"Come on Chuck, we still need to get rid of the car and get something to eat. I'm starving." Just then, Chuck's stomach let out a growl, and he agreed. He was hungry too.

They made it back to the car without any more distractions. OK, so Chuck may have stopped her to sneak in another kiss or two, but really, she was his _girlfriend_. He was allowed to. And she may have reciprocated the gestures. Often. So there may have actually been plenty of distractions. But their stomachs cut them some slack and didn't grumble again. Not that the teens would have likely listened anyways, as they were too caught up in the newness of their now affirmed relationship.

When they finally did reach the car, Chuck opened the door for Sarah, and couldn't help but stare at her cute butt as she bent over to hotwire the ignition again. _Running away was the best decision ever! _She glanced back at him, and he flushed red, embarrassed at being caught staring. Sarah turned her attention back to the ignition, and wiggled her butt at him. Chuck felt his brain melt down to goo at her actions.

The engine came to life with a roar, and Sarah stood up and turned to him with a smirk. "You ready to go?" She asked. He simply continued to stare at her blankly, a little drool apparent on the side of his open mouth. The question had obviously not registered in the goop that had become his mind. Sarah giggled, grabbed his face with both her hands and planted the biggest, wettest kiss she could on Chuck's lips.

That seemed to reboot his brain, but it got stuck on one setting. Sarah laughed as she danced away from Chuck's attempts at grabbing her for another make out session. "Not now Chuck, maybe later. I'm hungry and tired and we still have a lot to do before we can rest, so get in the car."

"But… the kisses…" Chuck whined.

"You'll get more kisses later Chuck."

"Promise?" Chuck sighed as he dropped the arms that were reaching for her.

"Promise." She nodded then darted in for a quick peck on his lips and twirled away again before he could react. "Now in the car you go."

Chuck pouted and gave her his best puppy dog eyes. "Sa-rah…"

She just laughed, and said "Chu-uck… Please?"

Chuck sighed, but nodded anyways and ran over to the other side. He yanked open the passenger door and plopped down on the seat. Sarah threw her backpack in the back seat, and it rested near his. She grinned at him, revved the engine, then the car bolted out onto the street, tires squealing.

"Sarah! Drive slower! We're in a stolen car, and neither of us have licenses!" Chuck paled and grabbed the door handle. Chuck prayed that her driving wouldn't be the death of him.

"Jeez, OK, I will." She slowed down to the speed limit as they made their way out of the suburbs. Chuck looked at his hand, wondering why it was cold. Sarah then grabbed it, and the answer came to him as his hand warmed up.

"So… Tell me about Ellie. It's about a 20 minute drive to our destination."

Chuck brightened, and started rambling. "Well, she's my sister, obviously, and she's about 3 years older than me…" He continued to talk about his sister for the entire ride. Sarah would occasionally ask a clarifying question, or make a noise of agreement, but she was mainly happy to just squeeze Chuck's hand every so often and listen to the sound of his voice as he rambled on.

"We're here Chuck." Sarah interrupted Chuck's story about Ellie's college applications when she parked. Chuck looked around, but didn't see any garages like she had mentioned.

"Let me go in alone Chuck, the guy knows me because of, well you know.I can probably get a good deal. This engine isn't stock; it's been upgraded. Wait for me at that bench. Don't wander off, OK?"

The neighborhood looked a little shady, but there were plenty of streetlights, so Chuck reluctantly got out of the car, but only after getting his promised kiss. He grabbed both his backpack and Sarah's from the back and placed hers on the passenger seat so she could easily grab it. He barely remembered what he packed in his backpack, but was glad for it, as it gave him something to hold on to while Sarah's hand wasn't available.

"Wait!" He shouted. "Pop the trunk, let me see if there's anything in there." Sarah unlocked it from inside the car and he opened it and peered inside. There was a lone briefcase, which he grabbed. He closed the trunk and gave her a thumbs up to let her know he was done.

Sarah gave him one last smile and waved as she drove around the corner of the block. He sat down on the bench, and closed his eyes to wait for her return.

* * *

><p>"Chuck, I'm back." He opened his eyes, and smiled when he saw her blue eyes looking into his brown ones.<p>

"Hi Sarah." He leaned in for a quick kiss, but she pulled back, the happy glint he expected to see in her eyes noticeably absent. Chuck frowned, puzzled, and as she stepped away from the bench, he could see another figure standing behind her. The figure stepped into the light and laid a hand on Sarah's shoulder. He was a tall man, who looked faintly similar to Sarah.

"Nice work pumpkin. As expected from my daughter." The man said, and leaned down and kissed the top of Sarah's head. _That's her father!_

"Wha…Sarah, what's going on? Why's your father here?" Chuck was very close to panicking, but his utter confusion took precedence at the moment.

"Thank you daddy!" Sarah said, pride evident in her voice. Why was she ignoring him? Why was she actually happy to see her father? Wasn't she angry at him for forcing her to… flirt with … that _mark…_?

Chuck's brain slowed, until it ground to a halt. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't _think_.

"Looks like he really believed your story darlin'. That was a damn fine performance. That schnook fell hard for you." The man, _Sam's father_, said, laughing. Sarah…Sam…She had played him? He was just another con to her? No… He wouldn't believe it until he heard-

"Well, I am an amazing actress daddy." She giggled and struck a pose, like a model would. "Can you believe he thought I'd actually want to be his girlfriend? A nerd like him?"

Chuck sucked in a mouthful of air, and another, his heart beating so hard he thought it might burst out of his chest. He still couldn't really think, the only thing running through his mind was a steady stream of denial. _Nononono… There was a connection there! She likes me! She wouldn't do this!_ But all he could hear was laughter. _Her_ laughter.

"NO! I don't believe you! I'm closing my eyes, and when I open them, this will all have just been a bad dream." He closed his eyes tightly, and for a second there was only silence. But as he opened them again, nothing had changed. _Sam _and her father were still there. His heart dropped in his chest, and tears pooled in his eyes. _I won't cry… Not over this…_ Even as he thought that however, he knew that he would cry because of her. He didn't cry when his mother left, despite being only 10, and he didn't cry when his father left, but being betrayed by _her _hurt more than he could imagine. Certainly more than it should after knowing her for less than a day.

He blinked to try and hold the tears in, but _she _had disappeared, even as her father remained. "Sarah? Where'd you go?" His tears were forgotten as he hastily rubbed his eyes; she had disappeared during a _blink._ That's not natural. And why did it suddenly seem as if he were looking at the world through red-tinged glasses? And was that the _sun_?

"She's not here yet. _This_ may be a nightmare Chuck, but you know as well as I do that it could just as easily be reality. She told you she is a conman, that she is a great actress. Has she really told you the truth about everything else?" The man speaking was no longer Sarah's father, but a gross amalgamation of a man, and a horned demon, and it sported the same needle tail that Cell from Dragonball Z has. Man, he hated Cell…

The _thing_ stepped forward to continue taunting him, and Chuck was paralyzed with fear. He realized now that he was in a nightmare, but his limbs remained frozen, and his thoughts revolved only around what actions the _thing_ might take next. Was it going to stab him with the needle, absorb him like Cell would, kill him outright, what was it going to do? But the _thing's_ face twisted into a hateful sneer, right before it turned around and flew away, disappearing into the distance. A pair of arms wrapped around him, and _her_ soft voice breathed in his ear.

"It's OK, I'm here Chuck. Wake up, I'm here for you. Chuck. Chuck!"

His eyes snapped open, and he rolled towards the voice, rolled straight off the bench. Chuck fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, and grumbled incoherently to himself while Sarah giggled softly at his predicament.

"Are you OK Chuck? You were moaning no repeatedly…" She asked, holding a hand out to help him. Her eyes showed nothing but concern for him. Perhaps a tad bit of amusement as well. But he was man enough to admit that his rolling off the bench probably did look a little funny to anyone watching. And he'd never begrudge her any happiness or laughter, even if it came at his expense.

"Yeah, just…just a bad dream…" He took her hand, and her touch reassured him that it had just been a nightmare. But the fears and doubts about Sarah's true motivations remained. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, and he did his best to force the doubts to the back of his mind, and gave her a grin. He was pleased to note that only about half was forced.

If Sarah noticed any difference in his smile, she didn't comment on it, as she handed his backpack to him. Chuck took it gratefully and put it on, before grabbing her hand again. She started walking, leading him somewhere, and he managed to grab the briefcase without letting go of her hand.

"I saw an open burger joint two blocks from here." She explained. "I'm so hungry I could eat two burgers!" She was drooling slightly, and Chuck found it absolutely adorable.

"Yeah, thank god we'll finally get to eat. I didn't even have breakfast this morning. So, how'd the… car sale… go?"

"Great! I got 5 grand for it! It was in great shape and had a lot of custom parts."

"Wow, five thousand? That's awesome! We won't have to worry about money for a while now. I sure got lucky picking that car."

Sarah just grinned at him, but stayed silent. In no time at all they reached the previously mentioned burger joint, and she said, "We're here! Food time!" They entered the quaint restaurant and found a booth near the end. It was isolated, and Sarah told him she picked it so they could talk in relative privacy. She handed him a wad of cash as soon as they had deposited themselves in their seats. They were seated close together, on the same side of the booth. "Here's half of the money we got, keep it with you, just in case." He nodded, and stuffed roughly half of what he'd been given in his wallet and the rest in his backpack.

"What'll you kids have?" The voice almost caused Chuck to jump out of his seat, but Sarah had not reacted, so he figured it was safe. He turned towards the voice. Indeed it was safe; it was just the waitress, asking for their order. He was still a little jumpy from his nightmare. He _really_ hated Cell…

"I'll have a burger, extra pickles, hold the onions, and a coke please." Sarah then looked at him, which prompted him to order.

"And I'll have a cheese burger, but no pickles, and a coke as well." The waitress left, and they were alone again.

"Since we're going to be traveling together, we should tell each other what we have, you know, supply and skill wise." Chuck nodded, glad that Sarah seemed to know what they should do once again.

"Good idea Sarah. I just have some clothes and stuff in my backpack. Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, that kind of stuff. I don't have very much money; I didn't have a job. I was going to go fix computers at the Buy More during the summer though. Ellie has a job. Kind of. She baby-sits for our neighbor, a Katharine Howards or something. She has a cute 5 year old, named…Amanda? I can't remember, I only heard it once…And…"

Sarah had been smiling unabashedly while he rambled, and Chuck barely noticed when she leaned in and kissed him. It only took him a second to realize no more words were coming from his mouth, and another one to discern the reason why. From there, he proceeded to actively participate in his favorite activity: kissing Sarah. _This is infinitely better than video games…_

The waitress clearing her throat caused both teens to reluctantly pull apart. She placed their drinks in front of them and walked away with a knowing smirk on her face. They blushed a bit at being caught kissing, but quickly went back to planning.

"Right, erm, I'm really good with computers and electronics, like I mentioned earlier."

"Can you hack into computers?"

"Umm… I don't know, maybe? I've never actually tried, but I was doing really well in my computer programming course at school." Sarah nodded and hummed in thought.

"Well, I can pick locks, I'm a good actress, things a thief and conman need to be, you know? I'm also really good with knives. As for my backpack, I have some money from that last con and clothes and toiletries as well. What about the briefcase you found in the car's trunk?"

He had forgotten about that. He grabbed it and opened it on the table, angling it so they could both see. "It's just some business documents. Nothing too special." Chuck remarked. "Do you want to ditch it?"

"Nah, let's keep it for now. You never know when we'll need it as a prop or something."

"OK, Sarah. We can decide what to do tomorrow, after getting a good night's sleep." She nodded her acquiescence and their food arrived. Their eyes lit up and stomachs rumbled simultaneously. There was no change in their perpetually rosy cheeks or wide smiles as they dug into their meals with fervor.

* * *

><p>They finished their meal in companionable silence, paid their bill and left looking for a hotel. They were both exhausted, physically and emotionally, and were looking forward to sleep.<p>

Sarah's eyelids kept drooping, and Chuck didn't feel too far away from that point either. "What time is it?" Sarah's sleepy voice caused his heart to race a bit more, which abated his tiredness somewhat.

"It's about midnight. I really hope we-"

"Hey, hey, what do we have here? Two little lovebirds wandering around where they shouldn't." A sneering voice interrupted Chuck's sentence, and he felt Sarah stiffen next to him. The sleepiness vanished, replaced only by mind numbing dread. There were _seven_ men walking towards them from an alleyway.

"Stay calm. Follow my lead." Sarah whispered in his ear, and squeezed his hand. The panic abated somewhat, at least enough for him to think. His first thought was that they should run, so he tugged on her hand and tried to leave, but Sarah didn't budge. "They're older, they would catch up Chuck. Just, trust me, please." Did she read his mind? Well, it's not like he had any other choice now. He would never leave her alone like this.

But what if the _thing_ from his dream was right? What if she were playing a con on him, and these people were her accomplices? She could have met with them while he was sleeping, and arranged this to scare him away or kill him or something. Then they'd take all his money and his prized Han Solo collectable (No way was he mentioning that he brought it along to Sarah, at least not until later).

_Think rationally, _a voice that sounded like Ellie shattered the train of morbid thoughts chugging around his head. Why give him half of the money at the diner? Why did she bother coming back at all after selling the car? He wished he could wipe his sweaty palms down, but one was clamped onto Sarah, and the other was holding the briefcase, and he dared not drop it or make any sudden moves.

_Trust me, please. _Sarah's eyes were wide and panicked when he had looked into them. He thought he could see fear in them as well. Not fear for herself, but fear for him. She was scared she wouldn't be able to protect him? The way she tightly gripped his hand, nearly breaking it, her whole body shaking minutely, seemed to confirm that sentiment.

The _thing _couldgo to hell. It ran away in his dream when Sarah appeared. It was afraid of her, afraid that she would refute its statements and destroy the doubts that created it. He'd trust in the Ellie voice in his head and he'd trust Sarah. At least until they were safe, then they would talk.

The leader stepped up to them, and his eyes lingered a little too long on Sarah for Chuck's comfort. He tried to gently maneuver her so she would be slightly behind him, but she didn't budge and wouldn't let him either. Which was good, because Chuck suddenly realized exactly what he had been trying to do. He took a few deep breaths to calm his heart and hoped his sweat-drenched shirt wasn't too noticeable.

"Well, well, well… Protecting your girlfriend. How noble…This really isn't a good place for teens to be wandering around at night, especially all alone… Let's go inside my apartment, it's safer in there…"

Chuck sincerely doubted that particular fact, but they were surrounded, and despite his confidence in Sarah's ability, he doubted she could take on seven fully-grown men by herself. He didn't think he would be of much use aside from being a good punching bag if they had to fight. Chuck decided to label them as ruffians in his mind, as they didn't seem to be part of a gang. Then again, it's not like he had a lot of experience dealing with criminals… Sarah could never be a criminal in his mind. Criminal implied people like these ruffians, not a cute girl like her.

"Listen, we just got a little lost, but we were leaving, we've got plenty of money you can have, if you just let us go." Chuck gaped, _but, we need that money… _She dug her nails into Chuck's hand hard, as if to say _don't_, and he shut his mouth with a snap, his protest dying before being given voice. _Seriously, is she psychic?_

Ruffian-Leader stroked his chin mockingly, then declared, "Nah! You and your boyfriend are coming inside with us." He sneered and motioned towards a dilapidated door.

But Chuck found a hidden well of courage somewhere, and stepped forward to protest. "No Ruffian-Leader," everyone looked at him oddly at his pronouncement. Chuck cringed, nearly face-palming. He hadn't meant to address Ruffian-Leader by the nickname he had been using in his head. Ruffian-Leader didn't even give him a chance to expound on his slip, as he punched Chuck in the face before he could react. Chuck fell to the ground, stars swirling behind his eyes.

"Chuck!" Sarah cried out and collapsed next to him while all the ruffians laughed. "Are you OK? Talk to me baby…Please be OK…"

"Sarah, make a wish, there are so many shooting stars… I ran out after wishing you'd be my girlfriend and realizing that it had already come true…" _Getting punched in the face hurts, a lot. _Chuck was in a daze, and didn't think too hard about what he'd said.

Sarah gave him a watery laugh and replied, "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me Chuck, thank you."

His eyes were still slightly glassy, but he managed to focus on her and grinned. "Gee thanks for making me feel like I'm eight…" He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek and pulled her down for a kiss.

"Enough! Get your pansy boyfriend up and go inside that door!" Ruffian-Leader interrupted their kiss with a snarl. Chuck nearly snarled back, angry at the fact he didn't get to kiss Sarah, but his jaw still hurt from getting punched, so he stayed silent. That, and he snuck in a kiss when he had gotten up. "Go up four floors and into a hallway. We'll direct you further from there."

Chuck and Sarah had no choice but to enter the building. They were herded up three flights of stairs and then into another long hallway with many doors. There was no other path they could take; only the one that seemed to be taking them to their doom.

* * *

><p><strong>AN2** Second chapter in and already a cliff-hanger. And did you really think that Sarah was just playing Chuck for another con? I hope it was obvious from the start that it was a dream. Have some faith in Sarah; she can't help falling in love with Chuck. It's always easier for her to admit the younger she is.

Young Chuck has taken a liking to giving things nicknames in his mind, and as evidenced here, they sometimes slip out, and at inopportune moments. Chuck has already given Sarah a nickname, and I hinted at it in the first chapter. Leave your guess in a review!


	3. Problematic Situation

**A/N** Well, I'm glad everyone enjoyed my cliff-hanger at the end of the last chapter. This chapter sees the situation resolved. You'll have to read to see how Chuck and Sarah get out intact, if they even do make it out intact that is.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I loved reading all of your comments!

Anyways, here is the next chapter.

Please enjoy. 

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3 <strong>

**Problematic Situation**

* * *

><p><em>Chuck and Sarah had no choice but to enter the building. They were herded up three flights of stairs and then into another long hallway with many doors. There was no other path they could take; only the one that seemed to be taking them to their doom.<em>

* * *

><p><strong><strong>

**April 12, 1995**

**Unknown Apartment**

Chuck's panic grew with every step he took, and he was keenly aware of the seven ruffians following behind in a single-file line. Sarah was still by his side, holding his hand. She actually looked calmer, as if they were just taking another walk in the park, just the two of them. She whispered soft reassurances in his ear, her hot breath doing more to arouse him than to calm him. He forced a slow climb, trying to postpone the inevitable for as long as possible. None of the ruffians seemed to mind his slow ascent.

For the first flight of stairs, he wished his tongue would work, so he could tell Sarah that he liked her a lot one more time, say something, _anything_ back to her. But all he could manage was to make small choking sounds, which likely only worried her more. He wished he were stronger so she didn't have to shoulder this burden alone.

She simply continued to hold his hand, running her thumb over his knuckles. It was a strangely soothing gesture, and by the end of the first floor, Chuck found his tongue was loosened enough for a whispering conversation. He tried to keep his voice as low as possible so no one would overhear.

"Sarah, Sarah - I'm freaking out here - it feels like we're walking - towards the guillotine. Toward our deaths!" He took deep shuddering breaths between every few words, desperately trying to not release the girly scream of unadulterated terror that was clawing at his throat.

"Trust me Chuck, I have a plan. I'll protect you." Sarah's affirmation of her protection did wonders to help Chuck control his anxiety and worry. He desperately racked his brain trying to think of a video game, movie or TV show that could help him in this situation. Chuck tried to sort through the McGuyver episodes in his head, but couldn't actually remember seeing a single one at the moment. Next he tried accessing the Force, willing with all his might for lighting to shoot out of his outstretched fingers.

Sarah tugged on his hand to get him moving again before the ruffians had a chance to motivate him with another punch. Perhaps he should've tried a Force Push instead. He wasn't on the Dark Side after all. So accessing the Force was out, nor did he have awesome kung fu skills like Bruce Lee, so he really was stuck relying on whatever plan Sarah had cooked up.

They were approaching the third floor landing, and there was only a single door present. Chuck wanted to throw it open and run inside, perhaps find a place to hide with Sarah, but the ruffians wouldn't let him simply try opening the door without interrupting. So Chuck had to come up with a plan to test the door and distract the ruffians at the same time.

Despite his slow and methodical pace, Chuck nearly tripped at one of the last steps. Sarah managed to straighten him out before he face planted, and the people behind them snickered at him. The answer suddenly came to him; his clumsiness! The plan now fully coalescing in his mind, Chuck readied himself to proceed.

* * *

><p>They were mere feet away when Chuck implemented the first step of his plan. He pretended to trip over his own feet and stumbled towards the door handle. It wasn't very convincing, if the look Sarah shot him was any indication, but he doubted the ruffians would notice it wasn't an accident.<p>

He dropped the briefcase he was holding and his right hand lunged towards the door handle, twisting it as he completed his fall. Sarah gave him an annoyed look, and the ruffians all laughed heartily at his stumble, but none of those things registered in his mind, as he was suddenly deaf.

The door didn't budge.

He had tried pulling and pushing, but the door didn't budge.

It was locked and wouldn't budge.

He fought back a defeated whine, but stayed in his half kneeling position on the floor. His plan failed. There was nothing more he could do. Chuck doubted his legs could support him. He was too young to die!

"-up, please baby." Sound rushed back into his world. Sarah was still talking, trying to get his attention, while the laughter from their kidnappers was dying down. They likely only had a few more seconds before they were forced to climb the last set of stairs.

"Come on baby, get up before they get impatient." He finally heard Sarah's full sentence, and nodded to her. "What were you thinking? You're lucky they laughed and didn't notice anything else." Sarah was kneeling next to him, both hands holding onto his worriedly.

"I wanted to try to open the door, but it's locked… I knew they would laugh if I pretended to by clumsy like this." Sarah quietly laughed, muffling the sound by placing her hand in front of her mouth. Chuck thought the image was extremely cute, but of course the moment was then ruined by someone else talking.

"Haha, even your girlfriend finds you funny you pansy. Now get up, there's still another floor to go up." The unnamed goon in front said. Chuck didn't say anything back, just got up and grabbed the briefcase again.

"I'm sorry if I'm worrying you Sarah, I've just never been in this situation and I'm freaking out."

"It's OK, I'm not used to this either. But we'll be alright, as long as we stay together." Sarah gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and Chuck didn't have the heart to press for more.

"Could've fooled me…" Chuck muttered. Sarah turned to him with a glare.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She hissed. Chuck's eyes widened as he turned to her.

"Nothing!" He exclaimed. "Just that I admire how calm and in control you are, that's all." His voice was slowly increasing in volume.

That mollified her, as her face lost the glare and she gave him a small smile in return.

The floorboards creaked as they started climbing the third set of stairs, and Chuck remembered what he wanted to say if he could talk.

"Sarah, I do trust you, but if this really is the end, I just want to say that I really like you, like a lot. And that I don't regret any of this at all, because I got to meet you."

Sarah simply squeezed his hand. "Chuck…"

"So yeah, it would have been great to have met you under more normal circumstances, but I wouldn't change anything at all." Chuck rambled, oblivious to the glares sent his way by the ruffians.

"Shh… Not so loud Chuck. And, I'm really glad that I met you too…"

"Sorry, I'll whisper…"

"And Chuck, for the record, this isn't the end. I refuse to let it end like this."

"You're right Sarah, we deserve more time together…"

"And we'll fight for it." Sarah finished for him. Chuck hoped she didn't mean actually physically fight, because she would be sorely disappointed in him if that were the case.

They were almost at the fourth floor, and Chuck struggled to climb the last few stairs. The entire day was finally taking its toll on his body. His limbs felt heavy, as if he were trying to move underwater. He wanted to fall down to his knees and beg them to end it, either way. To kill him already if that was what they planned. But then he thought of Sarah, and of Ellie, and of Morgan.

Morgan, his short friend who was trying to grow a beard. His friend that really helped him out after his mom left, but had lately gotten increasingly annoying. All Morgan ever wanted to do nowadays was play video games and hide from any social interactions inside and outside school. Whereas Chuck was more of a social creature, and wanted to make new friends around school, and dare he say it, participate in a sport and get in shape. Even if he would always be a nerd, Chuck wanted to be more than _just_ a nerd.

Ellie, his awesome sister who wants to go to UCLA for pre-med and med school. She wants to be a doctor, a neurosurgeon. She's practically raised him these past few years after their mother left and their father became emotionally absent. They had been close, much closer than a regular brother and sister. How would she deal with his abandonment and/or death?

And finally, Sarah. His new and incredibly cute and sexy girlfriend. She is calm, collected, athletic, and not at all prone to panic attacks. He had only known her for less than a day, but it seemed like so much longer. Chuck had never been overly romantic at heart, but after meeting Sarah, he suddenly believes in soul mates and destiny and happily ever afters. She seemed perfect to him, and she had admitted that his nerdiness only endeared him to her more.

He couldn't abandon Ellie like his mother and father did, he wouldn't. And he wouldn't give up on Sarah either. Even if all he wanted to do was curl up into a ball, close his eyes and whimper until everything went away, he would fight alongside Sarah to ensure that this wouldn't be the end.

Chuck took a deep breath to calm his nerves right before stopping in front of the door at the fourth floor. Everything became surreal, almost as if he were a character in a video game. He just needed to input the correct button sequence to activate the cheat code that would let him become invincible and beat up all the ruffians. He supposed it was due to shock. Too much had happened to him today, and his mind couldn't process it all.

Sarah released his hand, and he immediately felt the loss. He looked over at her, even as he used the opportunity to wipe his sweaty palms down on his jeans. She stood with her back completely straight, a steely glint present in her sapphire blue eyes. She was ready for whatever lay beyond that door.

* * *

><p>Ruffian-Leader pushed his way past his goons and Chuck made sure to stick close by Sarah and well away from the door. He tensed, thinking that perhaps Sarah might spring her plan soon.<p>

But she just stood by while Ruffian-Leader unlocked and opened the door. "Go on, inside." He snarled at them.

Sarah didn't even wait for Chuck to offer to go first, so he simply followed her through the doorway. They were in a long hallway, with five doors, two on each side of the hallway and another at the end. All but the one at the end were open.

Chuck could see into all of the rooms at the moment, and what he saw made his blood run cold. The second room on the right was filled with what Chuck could only hope was bricks of sugar. He knew better than to believe in that though. The white powder was sprinkled everywhere in the room and Chuck was sure you would get high from just breathing the air in there.

The second room on the left was practically an armory. Chuck only caught a glimpse of the myriad of shotguns, rifles and pistols inside before one of the goons closed and locked the door. Beside him, Sarah slumped slightly. It seemed she had wanted to change her plans and go into that room, but now it was locked. But at least they knew about it. They could maybe utilize that knowledge later in their escape. The closest two rooms just had beds in them.

"What is this place?" Sarah questioned.

"What makes you think we'll tell you anything?" A random goon sneered.

"You're going to kill us anyways, right? At least satisfy our curiosity."

"O-ho, we're not gonna kill ya little lady, not yet at least. Your boyfriend though…"

"Shut up!" Ruffian-Leader backhanded the goon that was talking. "We're not gonna kill either of you. This is our headquarters. You've seen where we keep our drugs and where we keep our guns. The other two doors here are just the sleeping quarters. That last door though, is our _play room_." Chuck did not like the way that he said play room.

"But who are you guys? A gang?" Chuck spoke up to Ruffian-Leader for the first time since he had gotten punched.

"Haha, no! It doesn't matter for now, maybe we'll tell you later. We'll see. Anyways, you three, take them to the play room and see what they have in those backpacks and that briefcase. Nothing else yet, understood?" Three of the ruffians broke off and proceeded to prod them into the door at the end, while Ruffian-Leader and the remaining goons went to their so-called drug room.

"Wait, can I talk to my boyfriend for a minute, before we go in there? Please?" Sarah turned her bright blue eyes to the goons, who looked at each other before caving and allowing Chuck and Sarah a few more minutes of privacy.

"It feels really good to call you my boyfriend." Sarah grinned at him.

"Well, I like being called that, but that's what you wanted to say? We're going into a room with God knows what and they're going to take all of our things and then probably kill us."

Sarah gave him a quick kiss. "Relax, and trust me. Just be ready to back me up when I give the signal. You'll know it when you see it." He frowned, he hated when people said that, even if it always inevitably ended up being true. Sarah threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He wrapped his own arms around her waist. "Believe it or not, I'm a little scared right now too…" She whispered.

Chuck goggled at her. She looked apprehensive, and Chuck never thought he'd need to reassure her in a situation like this. He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it.

"I don't need you to say anything, I just…wanted to hold you and be held by you. You said that I could take comfort from your presence, and I'm doing just that."

Chuck couldn't help but brighten at what she said. "Always. Take how ever much you need…" She gave him a dazzling smile and laid her head on his chest. She gave a contented sigh as she listened to his racing heart. He rested his chin on her head, and inhaled her scent. As far as Chuck was concerned, the rest of the world may as well have disappeared; he couldn't discern anything beyond the girl in his arms.

"Alright, that's enough time together. Go inside the room." The nasally voice broke the spell the two teens were under. Chuck and Sarah each took a deep breath and nodded as they looked into the other's eyes. They separated and started a slow march towards the doorway, but their fingers would brush every few steps. They were both prepared to do whatever it took to make it out of this situation alive and together.

Chuck made it to the door first and twisted the doorknob and pushed. The door swung open, and Chuck only saw a nearly empty room. There was a blanket covering some things in the far corner, and Chuck really didn't want to know what was under there. There was a single blacked out window with bars on it, and red stains on the walls near the blanket covered items. They stepped inside, Chuck in the lead.

* * *

><p>As soon as they entered the room, Sarah threw her backpack into a corner and went on the offensive. There was only one guy currently in the room, and she was (perhaps not so surprisingly) kicking his butt. The second ruffian entered the room he sucker punched Sarah, and she had to go on the defensive. When the third one entered, Chuck knew he needed to do something. This must be the signal she told him about, and that meant he had to back her up in her plan. Even if it meant fighting. So he threw his backpack near Sarah's and swung the briefcase with all his strength at the third ruffian's head. <em>Guess Sarah was right, this is coming in handy.<em>

It connected with a loud _crack_, and Chuck thought the briefcase might have broken. He tossed it aside and kicked at the dazed man who was on the floor. His foot hit the other man on the temple, and he stopped twitching. Chuck just gaped at the unconscious man on the floor. _I was just in a fight, and actually managed to knock someone out…_

"Chuck, a little help here!" He swung his head in the direction of Sarah's plea and saw that she was holding her own against the two older and stronger goons, and would eventually win against them. But the longer the fight went on, the greater the chance that _another_ ruffian would enter and that wouldn't be good for them.

So Chuck shut the door and ran to help Sarah. He jumped on the back of one of her assailants, and tried to choke him. The goon flailed around and managed to throw Chuck off, but it was enough. He was distracted and Sarah only had one opponent to deal with. The goon advanced on Chuck, completely forgetting about Sarah. That would prove to be a grave mistake.

Chuck had seen plenty of kung fu movies, but actually trying to fight someone was a lot harder than he imagined. He had somehow managed to dodge all the punches and kicks sent his way, mostly by backing up quickly and ducking. Since his opponent had a longer reach, and Chuck was trying to stay out of range, he couldn't launch his own attack. Chuck's back hit the wall and he realized he was screwed.

Except the ruffian collapsed like a sack of potatoes, revealing Sarah. She was panting hard, hair flying everywhere, but intact and as beautiful and sexy as ever. He decided to amend her nickname. She was more like Xena than Belle or Ariel anyways.

"You OK Chuck? Nice job on taking out the third guy and distracting this one for me. We made a great team." She gave him a bright smile. He stepped forward and away from the wall and collapsed goon.

"I'm fine, but what about you? Anyways, that was incredible, how you took out two of them like that! I figured that you attacking them was the signal and I should help out. But I got really lucky, I…" Sarah managed to steady her breathing, lunged at him mid sentence and captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

Chuck, not ready for the unexpected attack on his lips, flailed backwards and fell down on his butt. Sarah landed in his lap, never breaking the kiss. Needless to say, Chuck reciprocated the kiss. One of Sarah's hands cupped his face, while another played with the curls of his hair and Chuck had his hands on Sarah's lower back. Kissing Sarah made everything feel real again, like he was no longer just a video game character

Just as suddenly as she pounced on him, Sarah broke off the kiss and disentangled herself from Chuck. She let out a breathy sigh of contentment as she stood up.

"Let's find something to tie these guys up, then we have to figure out a new plan to get out of here." Chuck nodded and got up. He first checked on the briefcase he had briefly utilized as a weapon. It was cracked, but still usable, albeit not as a weapon as he had first hoped. Sarah checked beneath the blanket, but there was nothing usable, only chairs and a table.

"There's nothing in here Sarah. And there's no way we can get past those bars on the window."

"Help me check these guys' pockets and move them to a corner. Take whatever's useful."

Chuck didn't protest, simply followed her lead. He first went to the third goon to enter and the first to get knocked out. Chuck found knuckle dusters, a bag of weed, and wallet. He tossed the weed, pocketed the dusters and pulled out all the money.

"Wow, this guy had over $300 Sarah." Chuck then dragged the body towards the blood-stained corner, and then proceeded to do the same with the other two bodies that Sarah had finished searching by then.

"I found about the same amount in the other two guys. Some drugs on them too that I got rid of. We shouldn't mess with that stuff."

"Yeah, the guy I searched had some weed that I tossed too."

Sarah nodded. "Anyways, I also found a good knife. I'm glad, I hadn't been able to bring any of mine, but now I have one. I've always been very good, and I'm glad to have a weapon again."

"Oh! I found these knuckle dusters, do you want them Sarah?"

"Nah, you keep 'em Chuck. I'm happy with my knife for now. Thanks though. By the way, how's my face look?"

"Pretty as ever. It looks like you might have a bruise on your cheek, but it's not really noticeable. And me? I feel like I got hit pretty hard…"

Sarah giggled. "Yup, you're going to have a nice shiner come morning."

Chuck groaned. Ellie would never let him hear the end of this…

Sarah ignored his groan and went to the door. She opened it peeked out and closed it just as quickly. Chuck raised an eyebrow, but he assumed that she had checked the hallway and there were ruffians about. Sarah made a shushing motion and tip-toed her way towards him.

"There's one standing guard right outside this door. How didn't he hear any of the fighting?" She whispered.

"This room is probably sound-proofed Sarah. They likely don't want anyone to know or hear what goes on in this room." Chuck whispered back. This time Sarah raised a questioning eyebrow at his whispering tone. "I'm not eager to test out that theory." He said as an explanation.

"We don't have very much time before they decide to check on us in here. So here's the plan. Chuck, put on the knuckle duster and punch the guy standing guard as hard as you can in the back of the head." She rolled over one of the unconscious ruffians and showed him the exact spot. "Then I'll sprint by and open the door at the end as fast and as quietly as I can. Sound good?" She threw Chuck his backpack and grabbed hers. He mechanically put it on.

Chuck was apprehensive. Yes, he had participated in that last fight, but that was a spur of the moment thing. He got lucky by catching the guy off-guard with a briefcase to the face. And Sarah had been in trouble. Could he really punch someone in the head like this?

But the euphoria that kissing Sarah brought about was starting to be replaced once again by the shock and numbness that had been prevalent since being surrounded by the ruffians. So Chuck simply nodded, giving his OK to Sarah's plan.

"Great, I'll throw open the door, and you take out the guard while I get to work unlocking the exit door. Tell me when you're ready." She stood poised, hand on the door knob.

* * *

><p>Chuck put on the dusters and took a breath, then nodded to Sarah. She threw open the door and he jumped towards the guard and punched him where Sarah had indicated as hard as he could. The guard pitched forward and fell face first, unmoving. Sarah had already started sprinting towards the opposite doorway, but another ruffian came out of one of the rooms yelled to the others. She did an about face and ran back to Chuck.<p>

"Shit, not good Chuck." She said as she palmed her knife. Chuck couldn't say anything. He just paled and started sweating even more. "Look on the bright side, we've taken out four of them already, only three more to go!" Her cheery and optimistic tone actually had the desired effect, as he relaxed a little bit. She was right; they had already taken out over half of the ruffians.

They could actually do this. He could distract one while Sarah took out the other two. When she knocked them out, she'd make quick work of the last goon. Then they were home free! He chucked his backpack to free himself of its weight and Sarah did the same.

Except for the fact that there appeared to be six ruffians streaming into the room. Either more showed up or they were always here. Sarah's face lost its smile and became determined.

"Or not," Chuck muttered. Sarah just glared at their attackers. "I'll take the three on the right; you take the three on the left?" Chuck forced out, doing his best to sound light hearted. Sarah only nodded grimly and leapt at her designated opponents. "Uhh…"

_I was joking… _Chuck gulped, and turned to try and talk himself out of the fight when he saw a fist flying straight at his nose. He did _not_ want to get punched again. He'd get knocked out and all six of the ruffians would gang up on Sarah and beat her up, and probably do horrible things to her (He'd seen way too many M rated movies lately…).

He _wouldn't_ let Sarah down. He stiffened, eyelids fluttered, and then barely moved his head, but it was enough to cause the punch to miss. The next few minutes were a blur of fists and feet, and Chuck couldn't keep track of whose appendage was flying where.

A gunshot barked out, and Chuck jumped back to Sarah's side, once again aware of himself. She was panting hard, like him, and had some blood splattered on her clothes from her opponents, but otherwise she was un-injured. His everything hurt, especially his knuckles, despite one of them being protected by the duster.

Ruffian-Leader was waving a gun in their direction, so they backed up into the corner containing their belongings, Chuck keeping Sarah behind him, and out of the line of fire. Ruffian-Leader was talking, but Chuck couldn't concentrate enough to hear the words. All he heard was his heart beating in his ears. He was acutely aware of everything and everyone in the room.

The door was closed. Ruffian-Leader was in front, holding the gun. The six new lackeys were on the ground, in varying states of unconsciousness, some with knife slashes. Sarah was behind him. They were backing away from… Wait, he and Sarah took out six guys? He took out _three of them?_

Ruffian-Leader looked really angry, like he was going to shoot them. Chuck was going to die. He wished he wasn't going to die a virgin. But he mostly just wished he and Sarah had more time together. More time to explore where their crazy co-dependent running away relationship thing would go. He just wished for more time with her. If these were his last moments, he wanted to spend them kissing Sarah.

Either she really could read his mind (he was thinking it more likely by the second) or she had the same last wish, because she spun him around and her mouth crashed into his with a ferocity he hadn't know she possessed. He returned the kiss with the same intensity, putting all of his feeling towards her into what might very well be his last (and definitely best) kiss. He heard a crash, and then gunshots, but felt no pain, and Sarah was still kissing him, so he kept kissing her, holding her tight to him, as tightly as she clung to him.

"Sorry to interrupt your make-out session…"

A gruff voice broke through the haze of their (no longer) last kiss, and the two teens broke apart, both panting for breath. Chuck turned around, and noticed that the door had been kicked down and Ruffian-Leader was on the ground, blood blossoming from several bullet wounds. A large bear of a man had his gun pointed at the fallen man.

The Imposing Bear-Man strode forward, stepping over the unconscious bodies on the floor, to stand in front of Chuck and Sarah. He grunted once, and Chuck got the feeling that Bear-Man had his own language, consisting solely of grunts. This one sounded like he was pleased, pleased that he got to shoot somebody. Chuck shivered at that thought.

"I'm Commander John Casey, NSA. Are you kids alright?" 

* * *

><p><strong>AN2** Casey to the rescue! This is about ten years before canon, so he's not a Major yet.

As for Chuck's sudden ability to take on three ruffians, well, I also hinted at that in the first chapter. I was very surprised when no one picked up on it/commented on it.

Hope you liked the chapter.

Please review!

Thanks!


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